This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of rhode island to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 awarded the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank a $9.457 million formula grant on October 1, 2025, under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program (CFDA 66.442). This five-year award, with an ultimate completion date of October 1, 2030, provides funding to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other emerging contaminants in Rhode Island's drinking water systems, with particular focus on small and disadvantaged communities. The grant supports a multi-phase implementation strategy encompassing planning, design, and treatment activities to address public water systems exceeding both Rhode Island's PFAS maximum contaminant level (20 parts per trillion) and EPA's maximum contaminant levels for PFOS and PFOA (4 parts per trillion each), as well as manganese exceedances and private well contamination.

The funded activities include research and testing, system planning and design, treatment infrastructure, source water protection, water system restructuring, technical assistance, workforce training support, household access to drinking water services, and community outreach and education. To implement these initiatives, the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank is distributing subawards to eligible subrecipients, including the Town of Hopkinton for planning and design of PFAS remediation at the Crandall House Senior Center (awarded December 17, 2025) and the University of Rhode Island Research Office for a manganese vulnerability study (awarded October 31, 2025). These coordinated efforts ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act while prioritizing resources for communities most in need of assistance.

This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of rhode island to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and emerging contaminant challenges and target resources to communities most in need of assistance to ensure that no community is left behind with unsafe, inadequate water. With the use of this award funding, rhode island will implement projects such as the following: phase 5: address PWS that have PFAS levels in exceedance of both the RI PFAS MCL (20PPT) and epas PFAS mcls for pfos (4PPT) and pfoa (4PPT). Address PWS that have additional emerging contaminant concerns. Phase 6: address manganese exceedances of EPA's health advisories in PWS. Phase 7: address PFAS contamination of private wells. Activities:the activities include projects and activities to address emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities, including but not limited to research and testing; planning and design to address emerging contaminates; treatment of emerging contaminants; source water activities related to emerging contaminants; storage; water system restructuring; providing households access to drinking water services; technical assistance; outreach and education; and workforce or training support to public water systems in addressing emerging contaminants. Subrecipient:the subawards will be for improvements to drinking water to reduce exposure of PFAS or other emerging contaminants in drinking water for the citizen of rhode island.outcomes:this agreement is to an eligible state or territory to implement a program to provide assistance to address emerging contaminants in drinking water to small or disadvantaged communities. Funds are to carry out projects and activities needed for public water systems to comply with the safe drinking water act, programs to provide household water quality testing, activities for a state to respond to a drinking water contaminants, and activities that benefit the impacted communities. The anticipated deliverables include the following: - address PWS that have PFAS levels in exceedance of both state and federal requirements. Address PWS that have additional emerging contaminant concerns. - address manganese exceedances of EPA's health advisories in PWS. - address PFAS contamination of private wells. The expected outcomes include the following: - decrease in the number of PWS serving small or disadvantaged communities that have elevated levels of PFAS or mtbe; - number of treatment technologies installed at PWS to address PFAS or mtbe; - increase in the number of PWS serving small or disadvantaged communities where treatment or another remedy to address PFAS or mtbe has been installed; - number of population served where treatment for PFAS or mtbe has been installed; - number of population served in a disadvantaged community where treatment or another remedy to address manganese has been installed; - decrease in the number of PWS serving small or disadvantaged communities that have elevated levels of manganese; - number of population served where treatment or another remedy to address manganese has been installed; - number of treatment technologies installed at PWS to address manganese; - decrease the number of rhode island residents with private wells that are consuming drinking water with elevated PFAS; and - number of treatment systems installed to private wells to address PFAS. The intended beneficiaries include small and/or disadvantaged public water systems to be identified in an updated workplan to be developed by the state. Direct beneficiaries of this program include all state residents and occupants, both permanent and temporary.